Public discontent in Uganda is no
longer a matter of speculation, but reality, to which several political players
have responded differently: - (i) Parliament has attempted the legislative
channel to block oil contracts and State House budget, censure Ministers and
the Governor of Bank of Uganda, impeach the president, and now, restore terms’
limit, yet, one year in office, they have nothing to write home about. (ii) A4C
have been walking for over a year to overthrow Museveni, and still walking. (iii)
The Clergy have sought the pulpit, but may
need a miracle as well (iv) Owekitiibwa Muliika and Bishop Nyiringiye are
traversing the country, agitating
against the status quo (v) Some Opposition Parties convey their frustration
through press briefings and (vi) Uganda
Federal Alliance (UFA) is working on referenda to change the governance system
and to restore terms’ limit. In the olden days of “Snow-White and the Ugly
Queen” Fairy-Tale, the question would be asked “So Who Is The Fairest Of Them All?”
I love the referenda route
because not only is it rooted in the constitution through Article 255 which provides
for “citizens’ right to demand referenda ON ANY ISSUE”, it is also “SMART”- as
in Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound, attributes globally
acclaimed as basic tenets of a viable project.
UFA’s “referendum project” is Specific, it specifically seeks
to replace unitary with federalism and to restore terms’ limit. It is Measurable because we need to
collect 10% signatures of registered voters from 1/3 of total districts in
Uganda (i.e. 37 districts) and present them as petitioners to the EC, upon
which the EC MUST organize a
referendum. Collecting petitioners’ signatures from just 37 districts, moreover,
where one can pick districts with the least voter population makes the
referendum option Achievable.
If it took me two weeks to collect signatures from 113 districts to support my
nomination as Presidential candidate, operating in just 37 districts is Realistic. Once the petition for
a referendum is submitted to the Electoral Commission; the law specifies Timelines for each successive
activity during the referendum process, within which the Electoral Commission
must operate or else suffer dire constitutional repercussions.
Once the petition is delivered to
the EC, the EC must verify the petitioners’ signatures within two weeks then
issue a Certificate of Compliance, after which the EC has one month to declare
the referendum date. The EC then has one month to cause the framing of the
Referendum Question to the satisfaction of the referendum promoter(s), after
which, the EC has two months of voter education, and one month to display of
the Voter Register. The referendum must then be held and results declared
immediately. According to Article 255(3) “the referendum results are binding on
all organs and agencies of the State, and on all persons and organizations in
Uganda….” - in short, once we submit the required signatures of petitioners to
the Electoral Commission, the referendum process is regulated by the Referendum
ACT like clockwork, or else the EC faces the wrath of the constitution.
The referendum option is free of
Party Caucuses, Cabinet or Parliamentary Rules and Procedure, it is The Peoples’
Process! It has a clear beginning with specified activities, milestones, timelines,
destination and output, not to mention the opportunity to traverse the country,
at State expense, sensitizing Ugandans about the benefits of power devolution
and term limits, plus, political party bosses cannot order the public what not
to discuss. With the referendum option, Ugandans need not lose their limbs,
lives and property, fighting police. They can just sit home, listen to “Yes”
and “No” debates on radio and wait to vote. Yes, there will be challenges in
the referendum process as there are elsewhere, but, it provides the most
conclusive, safest and clearest sequence of activities to deal with the current
impasse.
Beti Olive Kamya-Turwomwe
President
Uganda federal Alliance (UFA)
ufapresident@gmail.com
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